Rohit Sharma’s India tick all boxes ahead of Nidahas Trophy final vs Bangladesh
Rohit Sharma’s Indian cricket team has ticked all the boxes when it comes to bowling and batting, giving the unit a complete sense of dominance ahead of the final against Bangladesh.
When Rohit Sharma’s inexperienced Indian cricket team played the first two games of the Nidahas Trophy 2018 tri-series, there were some concerns. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina had not contributed, with Shikhar Dhawan being the only player to get on top of the conditions.
There was also the question of the middle order not getting enough chances to prove its mettle. However, in the next two games against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Indian batting put in some magnificent performances to dispel the doubts. Rohit blasted a magnificent 89 while Raina smashed an aggressive 47 against Bangladesh while the 68-run stand between Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey displayed their calmness and maturity.
Batting boxes ticked
The partnership between Karthik and Pandey did not feature many big hits. Rotation of strike and capitalising on loose balls was the trademark of their partnership. With the middle order offering a buffer in case the top order failed, the confidence rubbed off on Rohit and Raina in the game against Bangladesh.
In previous matches, India’s most senior batsmen threw their wickets away in the quest for aggression. Against Bangladesh, Rohit bid his time and played a knock similar to the ODI blueprint which served him so well. The Indian skipper got his eye in, rotated the strike and went for the big hits towards the end. Raina also followed a similar path and the partnership of 102 ensured India had a good total to defend.
Bowling key
However, India’s main strength in the Nidahas Trophy has been the bowling, with Washington Sundar being the star. The 18-year-old Tamil Nadu offspinner is the leading wicket-taker with seven wickets but it is his economy rate of 5.87 which stands out. What makes this economy rate remarkable is that Sundar has bowled most of his overs in the powerplay.
With Shardul Thakur also among the highest wicket-takers and Yuzvendra Chahal bowling consistently, the Indian cricket team, lacking experience, looks a complete unit and this stability gives them a big advantage ahead of the final against Bangladesh.